Brick-laying machine



June 20, JAMES BRICK-LAYING MACHINE 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Oct. 23, 1965 ii: Jill l W. I I

0 INVENTOR I HUBERT H. JAMES 9. a

FIG. 2

ATTORNEYS.

FIG. 3

June 20, 1967 H. H. JAMES 3,325,960

BRICK-LAYING MACHINE 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Oct. 23, 1965 INVENTOR HUBERT H. JAMES ATTORNEYS;

H. H. JAMES June 20, 1967 BRICK'LAYING MACHINE 5 vSheets-Shem, 5

Filed Oct. 23, 1965 FIG. 5

FIG. 9

Has

FIG. 7

INVENTOR HUBERT H. JAMES FIG. 8

ATTORNEYS United States Patent 3,325,960 BRHClK-LAYING MACHINE Hubert H. James, 4 Duke, Jefferson, Ga. 30549 Filed Oct. 23, 1965, Ser. No. 503,072 9 Claims. (Cl. 52-449) The present invention relates to a brick-laying machine. More particularly, the present invention relates to an automatic machine for laying bricks in either a single or multi-wall thickness for brickwork.

Manual construction of brickwork is extremely time consuming due to the several separate steps that must be taken in preparing the mortar joints and thereafter individually placing the brick in position. During performance of these steps great care must be taken to avoid misalignment of the bricks as they are being laid.

The present invention provides a machine for automatically laying bricks to form a brick structure. Bricks and mortar are manually supplied to the machine whereafter formation of the mortar joints and positioning of the bricks thereon are mechanically performed. Misalignment of the bricks is virtually non-existent in the resulting brickwork.

Therefore, it is an object of the present invention to provide a machine able to construct a brick structure with increased ease and less time consumption than with previous manual methods.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a brick-laying machine which is capable of operating in a continuous manner.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a machine that will automatically lay bricks in preparing a brick structure.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a brick-laying machine wherein the alignment of the brick structure is more easily maintained.

These and other objects and features of the present invention will become apparent from the following description and the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a side View in partial cross section of the brick-laying machine of the present invention while in operation.

FIG. 2 is a top view taken along line 22 of FIG. 1 showing continuous drive mechanism for propelling the machine forward along the brick structure being prepared.

FIG. 3 is a partial view in partial section of the machine of the present invention showing the internal construction of the brick-laying machine.

FIG. 4 is a view taken along line 4-4 of FIG. 3 showing the manner in which bricks are supplied to the dispensing mechanism of the brick-laying machine.

FIGS. 5 through 8 are views in partial section of the brick-dispensing mechanism of the present apparatus showing in sequence the manner in which a brick is deposited and placed in position on the structure being prepared as well as preparation of the vertical mortar joint.

FIG. 9 is a partial view in section taken along line 9-9 in 'FIG. 2 showing one of the propelling mechanisms for the machine of the present invention and in the manner in which is may be disengaged from the structure being prepared.

The brick-laying machine according to the present invention is constructed as a vehicle disposed on casters for movement along the upper surface of the brick structure being prepared. The machine generally comprises a brick-dispensing means and a mortar joint preparation means. The operation of the machine involves continuously laying down a horizontal mortar joint followed by continuous depositing of brick on the mortar joint. At the same time, a vertical mortar joint is prepared and the brick is accurately positioned. In this manner a continuous layer of brock is laid across the upper surface of the brick structure.

Referring to FIG. 1, there is shown a brick-laying machine 1 of the present invention mounted upon th upper surface of a brick wall 2 being constructed. Near the bottom of the front portion of the machine 1 there is mounted a series of casters 3 which ride upon the upper surface of a previously formed layer of brick. At the lower rear portion of the machine another series of casters 4 are mounted. These casters are located further up on the back wall of the machine so as to ride on the upper surface of the layer of brick presently being laid by the machine. In this manner, the machine is maintained at all times in a horizontal position relative to the upper surface of the brickwork being constructed.

Extending downward along opposite sides of the machine are rotatable shafts 5 mounted in an upper journal 6 and a lower journal 7. The upper journal 6 is mounted on the side walls of the machine in such a manner as to be slightly pivotable outward from the side walls about horizontal axes. At the lower end of the shaft 5 a roller 8 is fixed. A series of rings 9 are mounted upon roller 8 in spaced-apart relationship. The spacing of the rings corresponds to the height of the bricks so that the rings may ride within successive mortar joints between the bricks. The rings 9 are maintained in frictional contact with the brick wall by securing the lower journal 7 to the side of the machine by means of removable pins 10. While the rollers 8 are shown out of contact with the wall they may be of a larger diameter so as to be in contact with the wall similar to the rings.

A gear 11 is fixedly secured to the upper end of the shaft 5. This gear is rotatably driven by means of a belt or chain. Rotational movement is thereby imparted to the shaft 5 and, in turn, to roll 8 and rings 9.

The specific arrangement of the several shafts and their corresponding rollers S on the sides of the brick-laying machine 1 is readily apparent from FIGS. 1, 2 and 4. As seen in FIG. 2, the gears 11 mounted on each side of the machine are driven by a separate belt of chain which are powered by motor 12. By these means the brick-laying machine of the present invention is propelled in a forward direction.

It should also be realized that shafts 5 and rollers 8 serve to impart lateral stability to the machine as it moves across the upper surface of the brickwork being constructed. Obviously the number of rollers and rings on shafts 5 may vary according to the weight distribution of the machine.

The interior of the machine is best shown in FIG. 3 wherein there is provided a front mortar dispensing chute 13 and a rear mortar dispensing chute 17 located at opposite ends of the machine. The upper ends of the mortar dispensing chutes communicate with a common hopper located at the top of the machine. In operation of the machine a level of mortar is maintained in the hopper for providing a constant supply of mortar to both dispensing chutes.

The front mortar dispensing chute 13 terminates at its lower end and in an opening 14 which is closely adjacent to the upper surface of the layer of bricks on which the front of the machine rides. The fiow of mortar from the front dispensing chute is controlled by a vent-type valve 15 which is manually operated by a handle 16 attached thereto. Mortar issuing from the front dispensing chute is uniformly formed into a horizontal mortar joint on the upper surface of the brickwork upon which bricks will be positioned by a subsequent operation of the machine. While the machine moves steadily forward, continuous operation of the front mortar dispensing chute 13 may be obtained by simply presetting the valve 15 to an open position.

The rear mortar dispensing chute 17 terminates at:its lower end in opening 18 which is located adjacent to both the rear surface of the brick being placed in position by the machine and the upper surface of the layer of bricks just previously placed in position. Flow of mortar from the rear dispensing chute is controlled by a gate 19 which is integrally connected to the brick dispensing mechanism. The gate 19 operates intermittently in timed relationship to the dispensation of bricks. In this manner the rear mortar dispensing chute provides mortar for the vertical mortar joints.

The brick-dispensing mechanism located between the front and rear mortar dispensing chutes comprises a movable front ledge 2d and a stationary rear ledge 21. These ledges serve to support the bricks just prior to being dispensed onto the brickwork being constructed. The rear ledge is located near the opening 18 of the rear mortar dispensing chute and has a flange 22 extending downwardly therefrom to aid in guiding the mortar issuing from the chute into place for the vertical mortar joint. The front ledge 20 has a lower extending flange 23 which serves to guide a dispensed brick into final position upon the brickwork.

Since the brick-laying machine as illustrated is capable of forming a structure by simultaneously dispensing two bricks at a time and shown more clearly in FIG. 4, the movable front ledge 29 is provided with a centrally located U-shaped plate 24 extending rearwardly therefrom. The U-shaped plate 24 serves as a central divider for the two bricks being supported on either side thereof. Again, it is emphasized that one or more bricks may be laid simultaneously and two are shown only for illustration. In between the extended walls of the U-shaped plate 24 is positioned a horizontally movable arm 25. The arm is maintained in position by a pin secured between the side walls of plate 2 which rides in a horizontal slot 27 cut in the arm 25. Thus, it should be apparent that the U- shaped plate 24 will have a limited degree of movement independent of the arm 25 whereafter both the plate 24 and the arm 25 will move together. The rear end of arm 25 is secured to a plate 28 which slidably rests upon the upper surface of rear ledge 21. The bottom edge of plate 28 is also secured to gate 19 previously described. Thus, the arm 25, the plate 28 and the gate 19 move together as a single unit.

Securedto the upper side of the movable front ledge 20 are laterally extending lugs 29. These lugs ride in corresponding slots in the side walls of the brick-laying machine 1 and aid in guiding the brick-dispensing mechanism in its forward and rearward movements.

On the underside of the movable front ledge 20 is secured a curved camming plate 30. The curved camming plateis yieldingly maintained against the surface of an eccentrically mounted circular cam 32 by means of upper and lower springs 31. At one end the springs are secured to the curved camming plate while at the other end they are secured to the housing of the bricklaying machine. In this manner the curved camming plate is constantly maintained against the surface of the eccentrically mounted cam regardless of its position.

The cam 32 is eccentrically mounted on a shaft which is rotationally driven by a suitable belt or chain means from motor 33.

While a specific camming structure has been described it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various other camming arrangements which produce the desired reciprocating motion may be employed. Another arrangement may include a circular curved camming plate centered on the rotational axis of the eccentric cam.

The cammed operation of the brick-dispensing mechanism, just described, will be explained in more detail in reference to FIGS. -8.

A constant supply of bricks is fed to the brick dispensing mechanism by angularly disposed side chutes 4t) and 41. Since the brick-laying machine is designed to simultaneously dispense one or more bricks, these chutes are disposed on opposite sides of the brick-laying machine. Each chute is identical and comprises an upper angularly disposed plate 42 supported by horizontal and vertical angle irons 43 and 44 The bricks are assembled on the upper plate in a relationship which corresponds to the relationship in which the bricks are dispensed upon the upper surface of the brickwork. The vbricks are fed by gravity from this assembled relationship to the dispensing mechanism.

The operation of the brick-dispensing mechanism is most clearly illustrated by the sequence of operating positions shown in FIGS. 58. In these views it should be kept in mind that the entire brick-dispensing mechanism is continually moving forward over the upper surface of the brickwork as a part of the brick-laying machine. The movements, to be described below, of the individual ele' ments of the dispensing mechanism are relative to this continuous forward movement of the brick-laying machine.

The first stage of the cycle involved in dispensing bricks and placing them in position on the brickwork is shown in FIG. 5. Brick B, represented by the dotted line, is shown in position in the brick-dispensing mechanism as it is received from one of the brick feed chutes. The brick is supported at either end by front and rear ledges 20 and 21. The front ledge is maintained in this supporting position by the action of the rotating cam 32 against the curved camming surface 31) attached to the underside of the ledge. This position. is maintained for a suificient length of time to allow the brick-laying machine to move far enoughforward for dispensing the brick in sequence along the upper surface of the brickwork. In this position, it will also be noted that gate 19 closes Off the rear mortar dispensing chute 17. The gate is maintained in this closed position by arm 25 due to slot 27 being suitably engaged by pin 26.

Further rotation of cam 32, as shown in FIG. 6 allows the springs 31 to pull the front ledge assembly forward in the direction shown by the arrows. In this position, the lip of the front ledge 20 is immediately adjacentthe end of the brick B. No corresponding movement in arm 25 occurs due to the fact that pin 26 merely slides to the opposite end of slot 27. As a result mortar feed chute 17 remains closed by gate 19.

As cam 32 continues to rotate the springs 31 continue to pull the front ledge assembly forward in a direction shown by the arrows in FIG. 7. This movement causes pin 26 to produce a corresponding movement in arm 25. As a result, plate 28 rakes the brick B off the rear ledge 21 as it slides thereover while, atthe same time, front ledge 20 is removed from its supporting position in the front of brick B. Thereupon, the brick falls freely, being guided only by central plate 24 and the side walls of the brick-laying machine. While the brick is freely dropping into place upon the previously laid horizontal mortar joint, the gate 19 opens and allows mortar to flow from the mortar-dispensing chute 17. This mortar falls between the previously laid brick and the brick just deposited thereby forming the vertical mortar joint between these two bricks.

The final phase of the brick-dispensing cycle is shown in FIG. 8 wherein the cam 32 is rotated back to its initial position. This movement forces the front ledge assembly to the rear as indicated by the arrows.

At the same time pin 26 slides to the rear of slot 27 and thereafter forces arm 25 into rearward movement corresponding to the front ledgeassembly. This, in turn, closes gate 19 thereby stopping the flow of mortar from the mortar feed chute. Along with the front ledge assembly the lower extending plate 23 also moves rear- Ward. This plate engages the front of brick B, just deposited, and slides it rearward into abutting relationship with the vertical mortar joint just formed between the previously laid brick and brick B. Simultaneous with this operation another brick, B, is fed by gravity from the brick feed chute into position on front and rear ledges 20 and 21. At this point the brick-dispensing cycle begins over again.

Removal of the brick-laying machine from the wall upon completion of construction necessitates disengagement of the lower-extending rollers 8 from the corresponding sides of the wall. This is accomplished as shown in FIG. 9 wherein pins 10 are removed from the lower journals 7 of shaft 5. This allows the complete roller, journal and shaft assembly to be pivoted slightly outward around upper journal 6 in the direction indicated by the arrow. The brick-laying machine thereby completely disengages from the sides of the brick wall and removal therefrom is thus facilitated.

While the brick-laying machine of the present invention has just been described in connection with constructing double brick structures, it should be realized that the machine may also be operated to construct a brickwork of single or multi-brick thickness. Furthermore, with slight modification, the machine may be limited to construction of single brick structures or extended to construction of mnlti-brick width structures.

Thus, having described the brick-laying machine of the present invention, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications and variations may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. The invention is to be limited only as defined in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A brick-laying machine comprising a housing, mortar-dispensing means mounted within the housing, and a brick-dispensing means mounted within the housing, said brick-dispensing means having a stationary rear ledge and a movable front ledge for supporting a brick to be dispensed, means for moving the front ledge forward to a non-supporting position, raking means attached to the front ledge and movable therewith for sliding the brick off the rear ledge, and means attached to the front ledge for finally positioning the brick.

2. -A brick-laying machine comprising a housing having a front mortar-dispensing means for laying down a horizontal mortar joint, a rear mortar-dispensing means for intermittently forming a series of vertical mortar joints, and a brick-dispensing means located between said front and rear mortar-dispensing means, said brick-dispensing means comprising a stationary rear ledge and a movable front ledge for supporting a brick to be dispensed, means for moving the front ledge forward to a non-supporting position, raking means attached to the front ledge and movable therewith for sliding the brick olf the rear ledge, and means attached to the front ledge for finally positioning the brick.

3. A brick-laying machine comprising a housing having a front mortar-dispensing means for laying down a horizontal mortar joint, a rear mortar-dispensing means for intermittently forming a series of vertical mortar joints, and a brick-dispensing means located between said front and rear mortar-dispensing means, said brick-dispensing means comprising a stationary rear ledge and a movable front ledge for supporting a brick to be dispensed, means for moving the front ledge forward to a non-supporting position, raking means attached to the front ledge and movable therewith for sliding the brick off the rear ledge, means to move the front ledge and raking means back to their original position for supporting another brick, and a brick-positioning plate extending downward from the front ledge and movable therewith for finally positioning the dispensed brick.

4. A brick-laying machine according to claim 3 wherein the housing is mounted on means for continuous movement along the upper surface of the brickwork being constructed.

5. A brick-laying machine according to claim 4 wherein the mounting means comprises a series of front and rear rollers.

6. A brick-laying machine according to claim 3 whereing rotatable shafts are mounted on opposite sides of the machine and extend downwardly therefrom along the sides of the machine and extend downwardly therefrom along the sides of the brickwork being constructed, said shafts having rollers mounted on their lower ends for frictionally engaging the sides of the brickwork.

7. A brick-laying machine according to claim 6 wherein the upper ends of the shafts are rotatably driven thereby propelling the machine forward over the upper surface of the brickwork.

8. A brick-laying machine according to claim 3 wherein the means to move the front ledge and raking means forward followed by a return to their initial position eomprises a curved camming plate attached to the front ledge and a coacting rotatable cam.

9. A brick-laying machine comprising a housing mounted on front and rear rollers and having rotatably driven shafts mounted on opposite sides thereof, said shafts extending downward from the sides of the machine and having rollers mounted on their lower ends for frictionally engaging the sides of the brickwork being constructed, said housing also having a front mortar-dispensing chute for laying down a horizontal mortar joint and a rear mortar-dispensing chute for intermittently forming a series of vertical mortar joints, a brick dispensing means located between said front and rear mortar-dispensing chutes, said brick-dispensing means comprising a stationary rear ledge and a movable front ledge for supporting a brick to be dispensed, means for moving the front ledge forward to a non-supporting position, raking means attached to the front ledge and movable therewith for sliding the brick off the rear ledge, means to move the front ledge and raking means back to their original position for supporting another brick, a brick positioning plate extending downward from the front ledge and movable therewith for finally positioning the dispensed brick, and brick-feeding means for feeding bricks to the front and rear ledges.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 772,191 10/ 1904 Thomson 52749 1,277,777 9/ 1918 Thomson 52-749 3,177,621 4/ 1965 Demarest 52749 FRANCIS K. ZUGEL, Primary Examiner. 

1. A BRICK-LAYING MACHINE COMPRISING A HOUSING, MORTAR-DISPENSING MEANS MOUNTED WITHIN THE HOUSING, AND A BRICK-DISPENSING MEANS MOUNTED WITHIN THE HOUSING, SAID BRICK-DISPENSING MEANS HAVING A STATIONARY REAR LEDGE AND A MOVABLE FRONT LEDGE FOR SUPPORTING A BRICK TO BE DISPENSED, MEANS FOR MOVING THE FRONT LEDGE FORWARD TO A NON-SUPPORTING POSITION, RAKING MEANS ATTACHED TO THE FRONT LEDGE AND MOVABLE THEREWITH FOR SLIDING THE BRICK OFF THE REAR LEDGE, AND MEANS ATTACHED TO THE FRONT LEDGE FOR FINALLY POSITIONING THE BRICK. 